PARENTS are deliberately moving to Ottery to ensure their children can bag a place at The King s School, according to education chiefs.

PARENTS are deliberately moving to Ottery to ensure their children can bag a place at The King's School, according to education chiefs.

Devon County Council's (DCC) children and young people's services directorate claims there is "clear evidence" the school's academic success has led to "significant inward migration of new families" into the parish, "specifically to ensure that their older children can be guaranteed a place".

The popularity of the "consistently over-subscribed" school, which again celebrated top-notch A-Level and GCSE results last month, has this week led to town officials accusing DCC of plotting to teach children in "sub-standard temporary classrooms."

A bid by DCC to retain two existing "modular", portable classrooms at The King's School, and see them given permanent planning permission, was not supported by Ottery town council planning committee members on Monday.

Councillor Paul Lewis told the Herald that a "funding issue" shouldn't see pupils short-changed. He said: "DCC is trying to dodge issue of building proper accommodation, and what the school actually deserves.

"I spoke out against it. DCC should be looking to replace those two mobile classrooms with proper accommodation.

"Kids these days shouldn't be taught in sub-standard classrooms. That shouldn't happen - the school is outgrowing itself."

Cllr Lewis, who has a child at the school, added: "It's a fantastic school and deserves all the backing it can get. It's ridiculous to have mobile classrooms, they need to replace them properly. I felt the town council should stand up against this."

In its planning application, DCC planning experts claim "financial constraints" have restricted anything other than "temporary" classrooms being used at the already "extensively developed" site.

It is also said the removal of the classrooms, used as general teaching spaces, would lead to disruption, management and timetabling problems, and would be "detrimental to the quality of education offered," with some subjects even having to be withdrawn.